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By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR Letter PFT Q&A

UNITED NATIONS GATE, January 29 – Despite Sudan's Omar al Bashir being indicted for genocide, Antonio Guterres has met with him, as acknowledged to Inner City Press by Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq on 29 January 2018 (before Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up and banned from the UN for 209 days now) - and, we are now told by UNHCR sources, in 2012, see below. Now Bashir under fired it offering as an inducement for support raises and new housing to "his" police. (At the UN Guterres has used UN Security to rough up the critical Press and put it without due process on a non-public "barred" list that his official in charge of media access Alison Smale said she has nothing to do with, but would take under advisement - then nothing, including no answers to questions.) On January 29, this: "ahead of the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council (“the Council”), which will take place from 25 February-22 March 2019, to express our concerns and urge you to address the Sudanese government’s crackdown on peaceful demonstrators and ongoing violations of human rights. Since 13 December 2018, tens of thousands of people have protested throughout Sudan and the authorities have responded by indiscriminately firing live ammunition and tear gas into crowds of peaceful protesters killing more than 50 civilians.   These attacks are not taking place in a vacuum: they follow decades of violations committed during systematic and widespread attacks on civilians — amounting to crimes against humanity — both in the context of popular protest and multiple conflicts waged against populations in Sudan’s designated peripheries.[1] Sudan is one of the few countries subject to HRC special procedures regime since 1993, an International Criminal Court (ICC) situation investigation, a UN sanctions regime all-encompassing human rights and humanitarian law mandates. In light of this, preventing a further escalation of the situation is essential. As provided by Resolution 38/18[2] and highlighted by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, the Human Rights Council has an important role to play in contributing to the prevention of human rights violations. An early intervention on the part of the Council and of all UN human rights bodies and experts is crucial.   We urge the Human Rights Council to reiterate to the Government of Sudan that all Sudanese have the inherent right to life, freedom from torture and inhumane and degrading treatment, freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly including freedom of the media. We further urge you to call on the Government of Sudan to:   Stop the use of lethal and excessive force against peaceful protesters / demonstrators Release all those arbitrarily detained by NISS and other government forces, and for those charged, ensure due process of law and a fair trial including the right to promptly access courts, to review the legality of their detention and access a lawyer of their own choosing End its policies of post and pre-print censorship of newspapers End all acts of harassment and intimidation of citizens including human rights defenders, peaceful demonstrators, journalists (international and national), doctors, engineers, lawyers and others who seek to exercise their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly   We call on the Human Rights Council to: Dispatch urgently an independent international fact-finding mission, to be appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council, to establish the facts and circumstances of the alleged recent human rights violations committed in the Sudan, including excessive use of force and killings of peaceful demonstrators, as well as torture and ill-treatment of detainees by the Government of Sudan, with a view to ensuring full accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims; and Request that the fact-finding mission present an oral update to the Council at its fourty-second session and a full report at its fourty-third session.   Sincerely, Abdelmonim El Jak, Researcher  Act for Sudan, Eric Cohen, Co-Founder, USA African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) Al-Khatim Adlan Centre for Enlightenment and Human Development (KACE) Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies Dr. Mutaal Girshab, Activist & Director, The Regional Centre for Training & Development of Civil Society Darfur Bar Association DefendDefenders, the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project Elhag Ali Warrag, Hurriyat Editor in Chief  Enough Project Faith J. H. McDonnell, Director, International Religious Liberty Program & Church Alliance for a New Sudan FIDH, International Federation for Human Rights Hala Al-Karib, The Strategic Initiative for Women in The Horn of Africa HUDO Centre, Bushra Gamar, Executive Director Human Rights Watch Horn of African Civil Society Forum Institute on Religion and Democracy, Washington, DC Investors Against Genocide, Susan Morgan, Co-Founder, San Francisco, CA, USA Justice Center for Advocacy and Legal Consultation Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur, William Rosenfeld, Director, Boston, MA, USA MENA Rights Group Najaa Ahmed, human rights advocate National Human Rights Monitors Organisation Never Again Coalition Skills for Nuba Mountains Stop Genocide Now Sudan Democracy First Group Sudanese Rights Group (Huqooq) SUDO (UK) The MagkaSama Project, France The Platform of Sudanese Lawyers Abroad." On January 23 US State Department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino issued this: "The United States is concerned about the increasing number of arrests and detentions, as well as the escalating number of people injured and killed, following four weeks of protests across Sudan.  The United States supports the right of the Sudanese people to gather peaceably to voice their demands for political and economic reform and a more peaceful and inclusive Sudan.  We condemn the use of violence, including the use of live fire, and the excessive use of tear gas by the Sudanese security forces.  A new, more positive relationship between the United States and Sudan requires meaningful political reform and clear, sustained progress on respect for human rights.  This must include prohibiting the security services’ use of arbitrary detention and excessive force against protesters, and ending the government’s harassment and intimidation of journalists, human rights defenders, political opposition, medical personnel, students, and other civil society actors.  We urge the government to release all journalists, activists, and peaceful protesters who have been arbitrarily detained, and to allow those facing charges full access to legal representation and the opportunity to seek legal review of their detention.  We also call on the government to allow for a credible and independent investigation into the deaths and injuries of protesters.  Moreover, to address the legitimate grievances of the population, the government must create a safe and secure environment for public expression and dialogue with the opposition and civil society in a more inclusive political process." On January 14 Inner City Press asked Guterres and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who had promised to answer, "On Sudan, what is the SG's comment and action on that Sudanese security forces Sunday fired tear gas and real bullets on Khartoum North Hospital and other medical facilities in other towns said a statement issued by the Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate? Again, please state when and why Mr Guterres met Omar al Bashir." But there has been no answer.  Rather, now on January 17 a statement by Michelle Bachelet whom Guterres picked as Rights Commissioner and who has said nothing about Guterres' own roughing up and banning of the Press, now for 196 days. Here's from Bachelet: "Credible reports of the use of excessive force, including live ammunition, by State security forces against protestors across Sudan over the past month are deeply worrying, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Thursday. Bachelet called on the Government to protect the exercise by all of their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, regardless of their political affiliations.  The demonstrations since 19 December 2018 have taken place in a number of cities across Sudan, including Wad Madani, Port Sudan, Al-Qadarif, Atbara, Berber, Dongla, Karima, Al-Damazin, Al Obeid, Khartoum, Sinar, Bara, Nyala and Omdurman. The Government has confirmed that 24 people have died in the course of the protests, but other credible reports suggest the death toll may be nearly twice as high. Many others have been injured. According to information received, security forces have also followed some protestors into the Omdurman Hospital and fired tear gas and live ammunition inside the premises of the hospital. Reports also suggest that police fired tear gas inside Bahri Teaching Hospital and Haj Al-Safi Hospital. These two hospitals are in Khartoum North, where a large protest was organized by opposition groups.  Authorities have also confirmed that up to 6 January, at least 816 people were arrested in connection with the demonstrations. Reports indicate that these include journalists, opposition leaders, protestors and representatives of civil society.  “A repressive response can only worsen grievances,” High Commissioner Bachelet said.  “I am very concerned about reports of excessive use of force, including live ammunition, by Sudanese State Security Forces during large-scale demonstrations in various parts of the country since 19 December." So she calls for freedom of expression? Everywhere but in the UN, where Guterres banned critical Inner City Press even from her own events? Under Guterres and now Bachelet, the UN is rotting into hypocrisy, mere words from arrogant absentees. We'll have more on this. Back on 20 December 2018, banned Inner City Press asked Guterres and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric and Farhan Haq, "December 20-2: On Sudan, what is the SG's comment and action on the anti-government protests that started on Wednesday in northern Sudan and have been spreading to other cities?" Even by 7 pm on December 28 with more journalists arrested in Sudan, for example Ahmed Younes from Al-Sharq Alowsat newspaper and Maha Al-Tilib from Attayar newspaper, both just for reporting on the protests in Wad Nubawi, Omdurman, there was no answer at all, nor to 46 other questions Inner City Press has submitted including on conflicts of interest by Guterres. It turns out the UN has become so corrupt under Guterres that one of lead Spokesman Stephane Dujarric's Associate Spokespeople Ms Keishamaza Rukikaire who actually seems to care or at least re-tweet about Sudan has been ordered not to answer banned Inner City Press' written questions about Sudan, etc, see here. Finally after 7 pm on December 28, from Guterres' spokes - / hatchetman Stephane Dujarric, this: "The Secretary-General is following with concern developments in the Republic of Sudan, including the reported violence and fatalities. He appeals for calm and restraint and calls on the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the deaths and violence. He extends his condolences to all those who have lost loved ones in the violence.
The Secretary-General emphasizes the need to safeguard freedom of expression and peaceful assembly." Meanwhile AI counts at least 37 dead, and now there's video of Al-Sudani newspaper journalist Yassir Abdallah taken to hospital  after being assaulted by security personnel who fired ammunition into newspaper’s office. The protests have spread and Bashir's Rapid Support Forces are being deployed in Khartoum. Still silence from Guterres, now on a murky publicly funded junket with a major conflict of interest. In Sudan Bashir has suspended universities in Khartoum and sought to cut the Internet. Guterres is missing in action, not even disclosing where he is or how much it costs the public. Birds of a feather.

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